Town Council Meeting Notes
Cyber Breach and Security
The town is working with different companies and considering different contracts regarding cybersecurity.
Current Status: No state contracts are in place, necessitating competitive bidding or co-op agreements.
Risk Mitigation: Strategic plans are being developed to mitigate cyber breach risks.
Co-op Opportunities: Aims to create an agreement that other towns can leverage (piggyback), potentially generating a fee for the town's work.
Deductibles and Co-pays:
Basic coverage/non-compliance: 50,000 deductible plus 20% co-pay on the next 300,000 in case of a data breach.
Level Two (current status): 25,000 deductible.
Advanced Security: Zero deductible, zero co-pay.
Schaeffer Fireworks Contract
A contract is awarded to Schaeffer Fireworks for the July 4th display via a non-fair and open process.
Solicitation: Three vendors were solicited by the qualified purchasing agent.
Schaeffer Fireworks: Awarded the contract at 18,725.
Other Vendors:
Bay Fireworks: Did not respond.
Garden State Fireworks: Unavailable for July 4th.
Consent Agenda Resolutions
A series of routine and noncontroversial items are enacted upon with a single motion.
Items Included:
Tax collector authorized to apply sewer account balance adjustments as credit: 13,150.
Tax collector authorized to refund overpayment of sewer fees: 4,040.
Tax collector authorized to refund overpayment of taxes: 4,783.39.
Authorizing the business administrator's execution and delivery of a memorandum of agreement between the Township Of Clark and the County Of Union for the removal of the berm on the property which abuts the Robinson's Branch Reservoir.
Amending resolution 25-94 to approve the use of the additional funding source authorized by bond ordinance 25-12 for the twenty twenty four, twenty twenty five NJDOT Road Project for Valley Road Sections 1 And 2.
Authorizing the police officer in charge to issue additional clothing bin permits.
Opposing the Department of Environmental Protection's NJPAC rules due to their significant adverse impacts.
Public Comments and Questions
Residential Property Height:
Resident questions the definition of a "half story" in the context of building dimensions, citing an ordinance that specifies a maximum height of 35 feet and two and a half stories for residential properties in the R-75 district.
The resident expresses concern over the size of a new house being built behind their property.
Affordable Housing and Redevelopment:
Resident inquires about the availability of the planning package for the upcoming round of affordable housing and the criteria for designating areas in need of redevelopment.
Questions raised about why some areas are considered for redevelopment while others are not, and who makes these determinations.
Police Department Structure:
Questions about the difference between a police director and a police chief, the authority of the police director over the chief if the chief is reinstated, and the roles of the officer in charge and public safety director.
PILOTs (Payments in Lieu of Taxes) and School Funding:
Resident expresses concern about the impact of PILOT agreements on school funding, arguing that taxpayers are bearing the burden of discounts given to developers.
Points out that while enrollment is down, the number of special education students has increased, which costs more money to educate.
Discusses the increase of school tax levy from 2023 to 2024
Council Responses and Discussion
PILOTs and Development Incentives:
Council members defend PILOT programs as necessary incentives to attract developers and revitalize vacant or underutilized properties.
Without these incentives, properties would remain undeveloped.
School Funding:
The school budget is managed by an independent entity with elected officials.
The school board chose not to request additional funding this year, stating that their needs were met.
Referendums are an option for schools to raise additional funds for capital projects.
Redevelopment:
The town has identified properties with realistic development potential for affordable housing.
Efforts to negotiate with developers are ongoing, but it's a competitive process.
Police Department Structure:
A police director will be hired to set policies and procedures, manage budgets, and act as a liaison to the administration.
Half Story Definition:
You can check with the construction official, but it's like if you get a cape house and the roof is peaked and when you go in the room, some parts you can't stand it because it's a peaked roof.
Regarding new financial agreement
What happened tonight is the ordinance was introduced. It will the public hearing will be June 2. It will then be advertised on June 5. There's a twenty day waiting period after that, so it will be effective on June 25 at which time the agreement will be signed.
Mayor and Council Comments
Motion Picture Ordinance: Changes approved.
Rock the Block Event: Chamber of Commerce congratulated for a successful event.
Primary Elections: Registered Democrats and Republicans can vote in the primary. Unaffiliated voters can declare a party affiliation at the polls.
Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony: Scheduled for May 26th, honoring fallen heroes and veterans. Four plaques including fallen heroes from the Civil War to date that were previously missing will be commissioned.
Congratulations to basketball champions.
Appreciation for police officers, especially those honored during National Police Week.
Thank you to the finance committee, council members, and administration for the fiscally responsible budget and to the officers working here for everything they've been through and especially these two captains right here.
Other Items
The township is receiving 250,000 from the county for a capital project request: rebuilding one of the substations.
DPW issues with grass and leaves in the bag. No rocks, branches, mulch bags, and plastic
Cyber Breach and Security
The town is working with different companies and considering different contracts regarding cybersecurity.
Current Status: No state contracts are in place, necessitating competitive bidding or co-op agreements.
Risk Mitigation: Strategic plans are being developed to mitigate cyber breach risks.
Co-op Opportunities: Aims to create an agreement that other towns can leverage (piggyback), potentially generating a fee for the town's work.
Deductibles and Co-pays:
Basic coverage/non-compliance: 50,000 deductible plus 20% co-pay on the next 300,000 in case of a data breach.
Level Two (current status): 25,000 deductible.
Advanced Security: Zero deductible, zero co-pay.
Schaeffer Fireworks Contract
A contract is awarded to Schaeffer Fireworks for the July 4th display via a non-fair and open process.
Solicitation: Three vendors were solicited by the qualified purchasing agent.
Schaeffer Fireworks: Awarded the contract at 18,725.
Other Vendors:
Bay Fireworks: Did not respond.
Garden State Fireworks: Unavailable for July 4th.
Consent Agenda Resolutions
A series of routine and noncontroversial items are enacted upon with a single motion.
Items Included:
Tax collector authorized to apply sewer account balance adjustments as credit: 13,150.
Tax collector authorized to refund overpayment of sewer fees: 4,040.
Tax collector authorized to refund overpayment of taxes: 4,783.39.
Authorizing the business administrator's execution and delivery of a memorandum of agreement between the Township Of Clark and the County Of Union for the removal of the berm on the property which abuts the Robinson's Branch Reservoir.
Amending resolution 25-94 to approve the use of the additional funding source authorized by bond ordinance 25-12 for the twenty twenty four, twenty twenty five NJDOT Road Project for Valley Road Sections 1 And 2.
Authorizing the police officer in charge to issue additional clothing bin permits.
Opposing the Department of Environmental Protection's NJPAC rules due to their significant adverse impacts.
Public Comments and Questions
Residential Property Height:
Resident questions the definition of a "half story" in the context of building dimensions, citing an ordinance that specifies a maximum height of 35 feet and two and a half stories for residential properties in the R-75 district.
The resident expresses concern over the size of a new house being built behind their property.
Affordable Housing and Redevelopment:
Resident inquires about the availability of the planning package for the upcoming round of affordable housing and the criteria for designating areas in need of redevelopment.
Questions raised about why some areas are considered for redevelopment while others are not, and who makes these determinations.
Police Department Structure:
Questions about the difference between a police director and a police chief, the authority of the police director over the chief if the chief is reinstated, and the roles of the officer in charge and public safety director.
PILOTs (Payments in Lieu of Taxes) and School Funding:
Resident expresses concern about the impact of PILOT agreements on school funding, arguing that taxpayers are bearing the burden of discounts given to developers.
Points out that while enrollment is down, the number of special education students has increased, which costs more money to educate.
Discusses the increase of school tax levy from 2023 to 2024
Council Responses and Discussion
PILOTs and Development Incentives:
Council members defend PILOT programs as necessary incentives to attract developers and revitalize vacant or underutilized properties.
Without these incentives, properties would remain undeveloped.
PILOTs can help to improve the overall tax base by attracting new businesses and residents, which can offset any potential short-term losses in tax revenue
Redevelopment projects supported by PILOTs often generate additional economic activity, creating jobs and increasing property values in the surrounding area, further benefiting the community
School Funding:
The school budget is managed by an independent entity with elected officials.
The school board chose not to request additional funding this year, stating that their needs were met.
Referendums are an option for schools to raise additional funds for capital projects.
Redevelopment:
The town has identified properties with realistic development potential for affordable housing.
Efforts to negotiate with developers are ongoing, but it's a competitive process.
Police Department Structure:
A police director will be hired to set policies and procedures, manage budgets, and act as a liaison to the administration.
Half Story Definition:
You can check with the construction official, but it's like if you get a cape house and the roof is peaked and when you go in the room, some parts you can't stand it because it's a peaked roof.
Regarding new financial agreement
What happened tonight is the ordinance was introduced. It will the public hearing will be June 2. It will then be advertised on June 5. There's a twenty day waiting period after that, so it will be effective on June 25 at which time the agreement will be signed.
Mayor and Council Comments
Motion Picture Ordinance: Changes approved.
Rock the Block Event: Chamber of Commerce congratulated for a successful event.
Primary Elections: Registered Democrats and Republicans can vote in the primary. Unaffiliated voters can declare a party affiliation at the polls. Unaffiliated voters can declare a party affiliation at the polls.
Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony: Scheduled for May 26th, honoring fallen heroes and veterans. Four plaques including fallen heroes from the Civil War to date that were previously missing will be commissioned.
Congratulations to basketball champions.
Appreciation for police officers, especially those honored during National Police Week.
Thank you to the finance committee, council members, and administration for the fiscally responsible budget and to the